Periódico Virtual contacted manager Juan Carlos Arteaga, who stated: “We do not understand and even less understand the discomfort of the hospital community. The only thing that will happen is that the operator will change, through which improvements will be made in working conditions. This is what we explained yesterday in an internal statement from the hospital. We mention that this initiative is an attempt to improve the quality of service and the working conditions of staff. “New proposals from union organizations are being evaluated.”
Since this writing, we have never looked favorably on these labor agreements, in which the union acts as an intermediary between the workers and the contracting entity, in this case, the health institutions. These contracts are typically used by hospitals and other healthcare entities to hire staff through cooperatives or unions, rather than directly. In these contracts, the union or cooperative is responsible for providing the necessary personnel to provide health services. The workers, in turn, are not direct employees of the health entity, but are affiliated with the cooperative or union that manages the contract.
The general community of Popayán should not forget that this type of contract has been the subject of controversy in Colombia due to several reasons:
Labor conditions: Often, the working conditions of workers hired through these mechanisms are inferior in terms of salary, benefits, and job stability compared to workers hired directly by health entities.
Labor rights: Workers under union contracts often face difficulties in fully exercising their labor rights, including the right to unionize and bargain collectively.
Evasion of Responsibilities: Health institutions can use these contracts to evade labor and social security responsibilities, transferring said responsibilities to unions or cooperatives.
Regulation and Supervision: The lack of adequate regulation and supervision can lead to abuses and the precariousness of employment in the health sector.
This situation is paradoxical and worrying. Workers, those who are the driving force of the health service, are trapped in a cycle of broken promises and manipulations of expectations.
However, we hope that the new hospital administration will comply when it ensures that job stability will be respected. The reality is that, by maintaining hiring through unions, the direct responsibility of the employer continues to be evaded and the full labor guarantees that should be an inalienable right are left aside.
It is undeniable that the current hiring conditions through unions and cooperatives have led to a precarious employment, with lower salaries, reduced benefits and practically non-existent job stability. This not only affects the quality of life of workers, but also directly impacts the quality of service provided to users of the health system.
The protest by the workers of the San José de Popayán University Hospital is a call for urgent attention. It is not simply a matter of changing unions; This is a profound change in the hiring structure that allows work in the health sector to be dignified. Workers deserve to be hired directly by health entities, with all the rights and benefits that the law contemplates, and not through mechanisms that only seek to minimize costs at the expense of labor dignity.
It is time for hospital authorities and administration to take decisive action to transform this system. The health of a nation depends largely on the health and well-being of those who care for it. Ignoring this reality is putting not only workers, but the entire society at risk.
